Lucky cats find home in time for Christmas

A few weeks ago, Lewis and Quigley arrived in boxes to an uncertain future at the Marin Humane Society in Novato. They were among 36 black and white cats who were abandoned after their owners became homeless.

By Christmas Day, however, their fortunes had changed. The cats spent the holiday basking in the warmth of the Gannon family's home in Fairfax.

"They have two little beds but they usually sleep in one," said Ella Gannon, who adopted the cats with her husband, Cormac and daughters, Brigid, 11 and Teresa, 9.

The Gannons and others have already adopted nearly half of the abandoned cats, who showed up at the humane society Nov. 25, and Dec. 3.

"They arrived startled and dirty but luckily they were in good health" humane society spokeswoman Carrie Harrington said.

Security footage shows the same person leaving the cats behind on both days, but there was no visible license plate number or other identifying information, Harrington said. A note accompanying the cats said their owners no longer had a place to live.

Abandoning animals in California is a misdemeanor, punishable by a fine of up to $1,000 and up to six months in county jail.

But Harrington said the law is targeted at people who leave animals on roadsides or other unattended areas. The humane society actually encourages people to leave animals at its offices — preferably during business hours — if they cannot care for them, she said.

"We want people to consider us resource if they are no longer able to keep their animal," she said.

The humane society cut its $100 to $125 adoption fee in half, and a donor recently pre-paid the fee for 48 cats.

The abandoned cats ranged in age from a few months to two years. They were a mix of black and white "tuxedo" cats, and others that were all black or all white.

Lewis, a year-old tuxedo cat and Quigley, a 3-month-old all-black kitten, arrived at an opportune time for the Gannons.

The family previously adopted two cats, Remmy and Ruby, that were stranded in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina. They were both diagnosed with leukemia and Ruby died a year later, but Remmy lived seven years, dying on Thanksgiving Day this year.

Remmy was not exactly an exemplar of good behavior, but he found his way into family member's hearts, particularly Teresa's.

He liked to knock things down, bring mice and birds to the house and bite and scratch people, Teresa said. And he would torment the girls' aunt when she visited.

"He would sit on the back of the couch and bat her on the back of the head," Teresa said.

The family loved him nonetheless, and left a void when he died.

"He had a good life," Ella Gannon said.

On Dec. 9, the day after Teresa's ninth birthday, the family visited the humane society to pick out a new cat. Quigley, the kitten, was an obvious choice.